Debuting Artist: Cameron Warren
Cameron takes the stage for the very first time with OpenStage as the one, the only, HEDWIG!
Tell us about yourself! What theatre or other experiences did you have in this discipline before working on this show?
Hello! I started performing in musical theater my senior year of High School. I then studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Hollywood, CA. I’ve performed in many musicals such as “The Little Mermaid”, “Les Miserables”, “Into The Woods”, “Little Women”, “Once Upon A Mattress” and many more. I started the after school theater program and was the director at my former middle school. I also worked as an Animated Character Performer at Universal Studios Hollywood!
How did you hear about OpenStage?
After moving here in January of 2021 I knew I wanted to break into the theater scene. I googled “theater near me” and the OpenStage website popped up!
What has this process been like for you overall? Has your anticipation grown in playing this role with the initial postponement of the show?
This truly has been one of the hardest shows I’ve worked on. Diving into a character who has so much trauma and who puts on a facade like Hedwig is terrifying. I was beyond thrilled to be cast because this was already a dream role for me, and with the postponement I’ve become even more eager to get this show in front of an audience!
How familiar were you with “Hedwig And The Angry Inch” before you were cast in this show?
I used to be an Usher at the Hollywood Pantages Theater on Hollywood blvd, and “Hedwig and The Angry Inch” was the first show I actually got to work. I was able to see Darren Criss and Lena Hall both play Hedwig and they were truly inspiring. I remember watching it for the first time and my jaw was dropped in awe the entire time.
What made you decide to audition for this production?
My Vocal Coach Emily Hatch, told me about the Auditions and i decided to just say “F*** it! Why not?”
What was the most challenging part for you throughout rehearsals?
The most challenging part for me was probably the physicality of Hedwig. Bless Sydney Parks Smith and Angie Simmons for working so hard with me. I’ve been trained in musical theater to always be standing upright and polished…. Hedwig doesn’t do that. So trying to find that rock physicality and that grit and grunge was rough at first. Y’all wouldn’t wanna see me in the mirror trying to figure it out!
What was the most exciting thing you did in rehearsals?
I would have to say the most exciting thing we did in rehearsals was when the band first came in and we did a run through with them. This show isn’t the same when you’re working with rehearsal tracks. The energy they bring with their instruments and all of us working together is insane.
What is your favorite part of the show?
My favorite part of the show?! How can I pick just one? I’m gonna go with “Sugar Daddy.” Sydney Johnson and I just have so much fun together during that song, and it is so hard to not break character while performing it!
Which song in this musical is your personal favorite?
Oh gosh! I’d have to say “Wig in A Box.” It’s my favorite song in the show. I love being able to put on all the different wigs, and when the audience gets to sing with us, it is just so fun to hear their excitement and love for the show.
What is something you spend your free time doing, outside of theatre?
Free time?! People have that?? Hahaha! Most of my time is spent with working at First Watch or at home with my AMAZING fiancé, Robbie Haynes, and our dog, Baloo, and cat, Bagheera. I love my little family so much, so if I get free time I like to make sure it’s spent with them.
What do you hope the audiences get out of this show?
I hope the audience takes away that not everything is what it seems. Everybody has an internal battle going on. Some people wear it on their sleeve, other people shove it deep down and put on a facade. We all deal with a lot of sh*t and it builds us to be who we are. The best thing we can do is love each other, and support each other. Kindness goes so much further than hate.
What projects are you working on next?
Where do you go after playing Hedwig? I decided to take a little break from performing for a bit and focus on my mental and physical health. 2 days after closing I will be joining American Cruise Lines as a server and traveling with them and making some money for my wedding! But when I get back, I’m sure I’ll be on stage again soon. Who knows what’s next! 
Text by John Cameron Mitchell
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Trask
Directed by Sydney Parks Smith
Music Direction by Victor Walters
Vocal Direction by Emily Hatch
Choreographed by Angie Simmons
July 8-22, 2023
Playing at the Lincoln Center Magnolia Theatre
Come see Cameron take the stage in “Hedwig and The Angry Inch” July 8 – July 22!
Winner of four Tony Awards, Hedwig is a cabaret, a rock ‘n roll gig, and a stand-up act rolled into a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience. Hedwig Schmidt, “internationally ignored song stylist,” is a fourth-wall-smashing, East German rock goddess who also happens to be the victim of a botched gender reassignment surgery. Proving time and again that an indomitable spirit can never be tied down, she tells her furiously funny, poignant, and high-voltage story in the only way she knows… with song. An adult, thought-provoking musical about the quest for individuality, Hedwig is an inspiration for anyone who has felt life gave them an inch when they deserved a mile.
